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Study on the Incidence of Phomopsis Vexans in Eggplant Seeds, Seedlings and Its Management

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Study on the Incidence of Phomopsis Vexans in Eggplant Seeds, Seedlings and Its Management The Agriculturists 17(1&2): 66-75 (2019) ISSN 2304-7321 (Online), ISSN 1729-5211 (Print) A Scientific Journal of Krishi Foundation Indexed Journal Morpho-physiological Response of Gliricidia sepium to Seawater-induced Salt Stress M. A. Rahman1*, A. K. Das1, S. R. Saha1, M. M. Uddin2 and M. M. Rahman1 1Department of Agroforestry & Environment, and 2Department of Crop Botany Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur 1706, Bangladesh *Corresponding author and Email: [email protected] Received: 22 May 2019 Accepted: 09 November 2019 Abstract Soil degradation due to the contamination of excessive saline water has been threatening soil health vis a vis plant productivity worldwide. Gliricidia sepium, a fertilizer tree, has come into limelight in recent decades in Bangladesh due to its potency in improving soil fertility. However, study on its suitability in coastal areas alongside identifying the salt-endurance limit is still lacking. Therefore, morpho- physiological attributes of G. sepium under seawater-induced different levels of salt stress were analyzed in a pot experiment from March to May 2018 to gain an insight into its salt-adaptive mechanisms. Results revealed that seawater-induced salinity negatively affected the growth-related attributes, such as plant height, fresh weight of shoots, dry weights of shoots and roots, and leaf area. The reduction of growth was coincided with reductions in photosynthetic pigments and relative water content. Interestingly, salt tolerance index was not decreased in parallel with increasing dosages of seawater, indicating the salt tolerance capacity of G. sepium. Furthermore, enhanced accumulation of proline increased the osmoprotective capacity of G. sepium in order to overcome the salt-induced osmotic stress. The results of the present study concluded that G. sepium might be suitable for growing in the salt prone areas ranging 20 – 40 dSm-1. Keywords: Fertilizer tree, growth parameters, malondialdehyde, proline, photosynthetic pigments, soil salinity, salt tolerance index. 1. Introduction coastal ecosystems by degrading soil fertility, fresh water bodies and regeneration aptitude of Most of the parts of Bangladesh are more or less mangroves (Rahman et al., 2017). High salinity vulnerable to climatic menaces, but the coastal causes multifarious co-operative events that regions are predominantly very sensitive due to adversely affect plant growth and development, specific geo-climate and phylogenic activities. and consequently yields, resulting in reduction of Bangladesh has a coastal area of 2.85 million ha, agricultural outputs by billions of dollars per of which about 1.0 million ha along the coastal annum (Song and Wang, 2014; Tahjib-Ul-Arif et belt is under intimidation of different magnitudes al., 2018; Abdel Latef et al., 2019). Salt stress of salinities (Rahman et al., 2016). Furthermore, can trigger hyper-osmotic stress by reducing soil sea-level rise provokes the salinity intrusion in water availability and ion toxicity by the coastal plains causing demolition of the accumulating excessive Na+ in the cells, which 67 Response of Gliricidia sepium under salt stress severely impede common metabolic and content in the soil (Beedy et al., 2010; physiological functions, leading to plant death in Makumba, 2003; Kwesiga et al., 2003). severe cases (Rajput et al., 2016; Acosta-Motos Furthermore, it also improves the water et al., 2017). infiltration into the soil, increases water-holding capacity of the soil, reduces soil erosion, restores Apart from salinity problem, the organic matter and improves soil quality, and ultimately content in Bangladesh soils is less than 1%, increases the crop yields (Diouf et al., 2017). ranging between 0.05 and 0.9% in most cases, Growing Gliricidia plants on farm aile serves which also restraints the agricultural productivity dual purpose as they produce green leaf manure of Bangladesh (Biswas and Naher, 2019). that are rich in nitrogen (N) and helps in Agriculture is intimately associated with food conserving soil through reduced soil erosion security and acts as a mainstay of Bangladesh’s (Rao et al., 2009). It is worth mentioning that economy, which employs nearly half of the total application of 1 t ha-1 Gliricidia leaf manure population and contributes 14.23% to the gross provides 21 kg N, 2.5 kg P, 18 kg K, 85 g Zn, domestic product (BER, 2019). The challenges 164 g Mn, 365 g Cu, 728 g Fe besides to sustainable land and/ or agricultural considerable quantities of S, Ca, Mg, B, Mo etc. management in Bangladesh are twofold. Firstly, (Srinivasarao et al., 2011). Farmers should to boost crop production and to maintain the soil therefore be encouraged to grow Gliricidia on a quality of the agricultural lands, secondly is to farm aile of fields for use in crop production, the improvement of degraded land in an which is a sustainable means of maintaining soil environmentally sustainable way (Karim et al., fertility along with reducing the pressure on 2014). In this context, adoption of climate-smart chemical fertilizers that are environmentally organic agriculture, including crop residue perilous. recycling, legume plant inclusion in the cropping sequence or as intercrops, green leaf manuring Therefore, exploration of G. sepium towards and add-farmyard manure as supplementation or calamitous areas in Bangladesh will be one of alternation of chemical fertilizers will be a the auspicious options to serve the dual role, propitious option to improve the soil health and such as restoration of degraded soils and boost crop productivity (Srinivasarao et al., 2011). agricultural yield in an organic way. Unfortunately, being a new species in Gliricidia sepium (G. sepium), is a fast-growing Bangladesh (Hossain et al., 1996), salinity medium sized (10-15 m) leguminous tree tolerance limit alongside morpho-physiological belonging to the family Fabaceae. It is one of the response of G. sepium are not yet well best-known multipurpose trees originated from understood. Therefore, the present study was Central America and Mexico, but has also aimed to determine the salt tolerance limits as widely spread to West Africa, West Indies, well as appraise the effect of seawater induced Southern Asia and tropical America (Solangi et salt stress on the morpho-physiological features al., 2010). It adapts very well in a wide range of of G. sepium plants. soils ranging from eroded acidic (pH 4.5-6.2) soils, fertile sandy soils, heavy clay, calcareous 2. Materials and Methods limestone and alkaline soils (Wani et al., 2009). The tree is used for timber, firewood, hedges, 2.1. Study location, plant materials and growth medicinal purpose, charcoal, live fence, conditions plantation shade, poles, soil stabilization, and A pot experiment was conducted at the research even as mouse killer (Srinivasarao et al., 2011). field of the Department of Agroforestry and However, G. sepium has come into limelight in Environment, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur recent decades to solve the soil fertility problem Rahman Agricultural University, Bangladesh due to its capacity of improving organic matter (24 09` N; 90 26` E) for a period of 3 months Rahman et al. /The Agriculturists 17(1&2): 66-75 (2019) 68 (March to May 2018). The study site is 8.2 m uniformly grown plants were irrigated with the above the sea level and characterized by a sub- diluted seawater (300 mL) every day for a period tropical climate with hot summer and mild of 90 days. The control plants were irrigated winter. The minimum and maximum with tap water. Root and shoot samples were temperatures of the research area were fluctuated harvested at 90th days of salt treatments for between 17 to 23C and 28 to 39C, determining various morpho-physiological and respectively, during the experimental period. biochemical parameters of G. sepium. Healthy G. sepium seeds were surface-sterilized in 5% (v/v) sodium hypochlorite solution 2.3. Determination of growth parameters containing 0.2% (v/v) Tween-20 for 30 min Plant height and leaf area were measured with a followed by five times washed with distilled linear scale and following the equation of water (dH2O). Subsequently, the surface- Carleton and Foote (1965), respectively. For sterilized seeds were incubated in dH2O at 26°C determining biomasses of shoots and roots, in the dark for 24 h. The seeds were then plants were carefully uprooted at day 90th of salt transferred to small polythene bags containing stress imposition and washed with distilled water 200 g of soils. Twenty-four days old G. sepium to remove adherent soil. Fresh weights (FWs) of seedlings of uniform size were transplanted into shoots, dry weights (DWs) of shoots and roots each pot (23 cm in height and 28 cm in were measured following the method described diameter). The pots were previously filled with by Mostofa et al., (2015). Salt tolerance index sandy loam soil mixture that was prepared by (STI) was calculated following the formula of mixing oven-dried soil and cow dung at the ratio Rahman et al. (2017). of 4:1 (in weight basis). However, the soils used was also treated with formaldehyde (2.5 mL 2.3. Determination of leaf relative water added in 100 mL of water) via spraying at the content, chlorophyll contents rate of 3.6-4.2 L of solution per m3 of soils to The fresh, turgid and dry weights of the leaves curtail the probability of developing soil-borne were used to determine leaf relative water diseases. Subsequently, mix thoroughly and kept content (RWC) according to the formula the soil covered for 24 h. After removing odor of described by Rahman et al., (2017). Chlorophyll formaldehyde, the soils were used to fill the pots. (Chl) and carotenoids (Car) contents of freshly In addition to cow dung, one liter of liquid collected leaf samples were determined using fertilizer containing 1% of-urea, triple super 80% acetone as previously described by Misratia phosphate and potassium sulphate was applied et al., (2013).
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